DR. JENNIFER C. FRANKLIN is a licensed psychologist (NC #4137; CA #PSY20709) by trade and anthropologist by nature. Genuine curiosity drives the passion I have for my work. My interest in becoming a psychologist was inspired by my own personal experience of healing from Irritable Bowel Syndrome. My aim is to understand who each client is as a unique whole human being in order to individualize my approach and maximize the effectiveness of the therapeutic experience.

I work in private practice primarily with adult individuals and couples.

Professional Background

Mindfulness is the cornerstone of my work with clients and underlies each of the following modalities in which I’ve chosen to undergo extensive practice and/or training:

I’ve also had training in and exposure to a wide range of other affective, cognitive, somatic, spiritual, relationship, and trauma healing modalities including but not limited to Gestalt, Authentic movement, dream work, creative expression, group process, and Imago. If it is important to you to work with a therapist with an understanding of a particular framework or modality not mentioned above, please let me know. Perhaps I’ve had exposure to and/or training in it as well.

My approach to therapy has been shaped by my work with some prominent thinkers and leaders in their respective fields. Early in my career, I was supervised by Humanistic Psychologist Thomas C. Greening, PhD, former Editor of the Journal of Humanistic Psychology (JHP), and became an associate editor for the JHP while working as a psychotherapist prior to licensure. Upon relocating to North Carolina I worked with Douglas Drossman, MD, a pioneer for the treatment of functional gastrointestinal disorders from a biopsychosocial perspective at the world-renowned UNC Center for Functional GI & Motility Disorders in Chapel Hill, NC, where I worked psychotherapeutically with in-patients and out-patients suffering from severe functional gastrointestinal disorders.

Educational Background

I have a PhD in Transpersonal Psychology and a Master’s in Counseling Psychology, both from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology (Sofia University) in Palo Alto, California. There I received a mindfulness-based, experiential education in psychology. I also have a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California.

I earned my doctorate upon completion of my dissertation entitled Breaking a Leg Without Breaking the Spirit. This was a study examining the psychology, spirituality, and self-actualizing tendencies of 116 professional working actors. It involved years of research on creativity, the psychology of acting, multiple intelligences, creativity, fame, consciousness, and the range of spiritual experiences common among actors and other creative artists. I was given the rare opportunity to go behind the scenes in the life of the average working Screen Actors Guild (SAG) actor.

Dr. Franklin’s Personal Story of Healing
I was personally diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome as a teenager and suffered greatly for several years. Through my personal journey, I became symptom-free and was inspired to offer others the kind of guidance that supports not only symptom management and reduction but also the kind of genuine healing that leads to a fully functioning life.

My healing process began when I was referred by my gastroenterologist to a psychologist for weekly therapy. Though I resisted, I became so desperate for relief that I finally yielded to the idea that perhaps it would help. And it did. After just one year of weekly therapy with a psychologist, my symptoms ameliorated significantly. Later, while training to become a psychologist, my exposure to a variety of approaches, modalities, and experiences led me to the realization that though I was better, I still hadn’t fully healed. I was still tolerating IBS symptoms and living in constant fear. By addressing these residual symptoms, I transitioned into a life free of symptoms and fear. My life didn’t just go back to the way things were before I developed IBS; it became even better than it ever had been!